环境公益诉讼作为侵犯环境公共利益的司法救济途径,备受专家学者评议。撰写的多数文章都着墨于原告资格的确定和制度构建等方面,鲜有明析其内涵、特征以及功能追求等问题。本文认为,谈及制度构建必须以明确的概念认知为基础。本文旨在探求环境公益诉讼的初始问题,以为后续研究搭桥铺路。 Environmental public interest litigation, as a way of judicial remedy infringing upon the public interest in the environment, has been highly praised by experts and scholars. Most of the articles written are written about the identification of the plaintiff’s qualifications and the establishment of the system. There are few questions about its connotation, characteristics and function pursuit. This article argues that the construction of a system must be based on a clear conceptual understanding. This paper aims to explore the initial issue of environmental public interest litigation, paving the way for follow-up study.